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This study shows that XMRV is capable of replicating efficiently in LNCaP prostate cells and induces the release of high levels of virus. This may in part be due to an enhanced transcriptional environment within LNCaP cells that allows for production of more viral proteins and subsequent budding of viral particles. The increase in transcriptional activity of the XMRV LTR is totally attributable to the U3 region and requires a GRE sequence element within the U3. The data presented further indicate that XMRV transcription can be enhanced by steroids, suggesting that XMRV may show selectivity for hormone responsive cell types including the prostate.